Fateful Encounter
by Sincerely-Shazzam
Summary: As a boy, he was raised to believe humans were cruel, selfish fiends that could only lead to the annihilation of pokémon. As a Hero and the King of Team Plasma, he wanted to lead a revolution that would separate man and beast for good. Yes, Natural Harmonia dreamed of changing the world. But a fateful encounter could change everything… Rated M for language and violence.


_Author's Notes:_ Wheeeee, my first published story! Hope you guys like it! (:

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Pokémon, or any of the characters mentioned in the story below. All that jazz belongs to Game Freak.

**Fateful Encounter**

"My name is Ghetsis. I am here representing Team Plasma. Today, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to talk to you about Pokémon Liberation."

The young man stood quietly near the front of the audience, watching the proceedings from under the brim of his cap. His steel blue eyes explored the scene, occasionally flickering back to the extravagantly robed spokesman that strode back and forth across the grass. A line of soldiers stood guard behind him, looking as regal as ever in their uniforms. A pair of flags stood at either side of the improvised stage, and the Team Plasma emblem they each bore rippled and snapped in the cool spring wind. No one in the crowd could tear their eyes away from the display, except for the boy.

At first, this speech had enthralled him just as much as the people standing here today. But after hearing it over a hundred times, he was almost certain he could recite it in his sleep. He was bored, but he could not allow it to show, lest Ghetsis saw. His jaw still ached from the backhand he'd received two nights ago for asking one too many questions, as usual. He had no interest in testing his father's patience once again so soon. When he was younger, he'd dared to ask why Ghetsis was allowed to hit him. After all, he was the King of Team Plasma. No one was allowed to touch him without permission, even the other Sages, or the Shadow Triad. Ghetsis had snarled back, "Because, Natural Harmonia, I am your father first, and a Sage second."

Without thinking, N allowed a yawn to seize him. He'd slept very little the night before. Dreams of roaring dragons, crumbling towers, fire, thunder, and lightning plagued him often now. Ghetsis had told him it was because he had been chosen for one of the mighty dragons: Reshiram, or Zekrom. The idea thrilled N. He could befriend one of those magnificent legends, and then perhaps he could change the world and make it a better place for pokémon, his friends! Initially, he'd wanted to drop everything and track them down, but Ghetsis had sharply reminded him they had a goal that needed to be obtained first. Team Plasma would work on finding the dragons, of course. But for now, they must focus on exposing the truth of what the trainers of Unova were doing to Pokémon.

Luckily for him, Ghetsis had not noticed his rudeness and continued to passionately deliver his sermon to the public.

"Pokémon are subject to the selfish commands of trainers... They get pushed around when they are our "partners" at work... Can anyone say with confidence that there is no truth in what I'm saying?"

At these words, the adolescent turned slightly to observe the reaction of the crowd. An assortment of expressions donned their faces: bewilderment, outrage, astonishment. But there were others who appeared to already doubt their lifelong beliefs. One young girl had pulled out her Poké Ball and was gazing at it sadly. He could imagine how many others must be suffering the same inner turmoil at Ghetsis' powerful words.

How easily their philosophies crumbled! Team Plasma would be achieving their goal in no time. This pleased the King greatly. His friends would be free from their imprisonment soon. However, an unexpected amount of disappointment stirred within him. He'd anticipated a little more resistance to their campaign. How could the Unovians not fight for their pokémon? If anyone dared to tell N that he could no longer be with his friends, he would fight against it until his last breath!

"Everyone, I end my words here today by imploring you to consider the relationship between people and Pokémon... and the correct way to proceed. We sincerely appreciate your attention."

N snapped back to attention as Ghetsis finished, just in time to catch his father's eye and nod ever so slightly. He was to take note of how the citizens reacted once their group had left, and report his findings straight to Ghetsis later on.

With that, the soldiers packed up the flags and arranged in a defensive formation around their leader. The crowd lingered, warily watching the strange procession march out of the square. "About that speech…" A hesitant voice from beside him spoke up, causing several heads to turn. The older man next to him twisted his hands together, shifting his weight uncomfortably. Worry creased his wrinkled brow even more. "What do you think we should do?" A younger male further back snorted. "Liberate pokémon? That's not even possible!" Several heads nodded and murmurs of agreement rose from the crowd. Clearly there were still a few that would be stubborn, but they'd all see the truth soon…

People began to make their way back to their homes, whispering quietly to each other about the speech. The undercover monarch also turned to go, but suddenly a small voice caught his attention and he paused. Turning his head towards the source, he laid eyes on a boy and girl, not much younger than he. The boy was tall and lean, with raven coloured hair and eyes that were nearly as dark. His angular face was pinched into a frown as he turned to talk to the girl beside him.

"That's bullshit! I can't believe he would say that!" She suddenly burst out, startling anyone within hearing distance.

N blinked. She was where the voice was coming from… How interesting.

Tuning out her hysterics momentarily, he listened to the sounds coming from one of the Poké Balls clipped to her waist. After a moment, his brow lifted in surprise. "What?" He whispered under his breath. "That's impossible." N looked up at the girl in confusion. Why would her pokémon say such things? Why was she so special to it? She didn't look that remarkable to him. She had long brown hair that was scraped into a messy ponytail, and a slender build clad in casual trainer attire. Not to mention she was a little on the short side. Nothing there that was particularly extraordinary.

He moved closer, observing her as she fumed about Ghetsis' speech to her companion. Her body was tense in anger; fingers curled into fists, jaw clenched, feet braced apart as if she was dying for someone to fight her on it. Her friend seemed to be trying to calm her down, gesturing around him as though drawing her attention to the fact that they were not alone here. She clamped her mouth shut, casting a fierce glare around the square. Her eyes flickered over him and for a moment, their eyes met. N was mesmerized. Her deep blue eyes absolutely _blazed_ in fury, freezing him in place. N felt the breath knocked out of him as though she'd slugged him in the gut. This was the kind of fight he'd expected from the townspeople. She was absolutely livid at the thought of being separated from her team. But did she really care about them? Or was she simply upset at the thought of losing access to her pokémon's powers?

His feet moved on their own accord toward the pair. The boy turned to face him, inching in front of the girl as though he meant to shield her from him. This amused N. If anything, he would probably need protection from _her_.

"Your pokémon…" N began softly, gesturing toward her belt. "Just now, it was saying…" "Slow down, you talk too fast." The other boy interrupted, frowning at him from behind his glasses. N paused for a moment, irritation playing in his expression for an instant. The younger male continued, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "And what's this about pokémon… Talking? That's an odd thing to say." N stared at him impassively. "Yes, they're talking." He glanced back and forth between the pair. The boy scowled cynically at him, while the girl appeared to have temporarily misplaced her anger. Her head was tipped back to accommodate N's height, and her enchanting blue eyes studied him from under the brim of her own cap. Though she did not immediately disbelieve him like her friend, she did not seem to accept this information very easily either. His earlier feelings of disappointment returned. "Oh. Then you two can't hear it, either… How sad." His voice grew even softer with melancholy as he gazed at her. He heard a quiet snort from beside her, and resisted the urge to glare at her vexing friend.

"I'm N." He informed them, straightening his posture to a more suitable presence for a King, realizing too late that he should have remained slouching like them. He was undercover, after all. "My name is Cheren, and this is Vivian. We were asked to complete the Pokédex, and we just left on our journey." The boy named Cheren spoke for her again. N wished he wouldn't. "My main goal is to become Champion, though." Cheren tacked on, regarding N smugly.

Figures. He was yet another trainer whose only focus was to attain fame and fortune. N bitterly wondered how many pokémon he would abuse just to achieve this goal. But something the boy had said sparked disbelief in the King. These two had just left on their pokémon journey? Her pokémon spoke of her as if it'd known her for ages! N didn't know what to make of this unsettling discovery, but he kept his expression neutral. "The Pokédex, eh? So... You're going to confine many, many pokémon in Poké Balls for that, then." N grimaced. He hated the idea of his friends being imprisoned. It was wrong. It drove him mad if he kept his own pokémon confined for very long.

"I'm a trainer, too, but I can't help wondering... Are pokémon really happy that way?" He stared at the girl intently as he finished speaking. His words evidently ignited her temper once again. She shot him a dirty look. "Of course they're happy!" She finally spoke up. "Pokémon and people are friends!" His composed façade faltered for a moment as N rocked back a little on his heels at her outburst. She thought pokémon were her friends too? It can't be. Ghetsis, and all of his friends back at the castle, told him that trainers were evil. None of them actually cared for pokémon. They only saw them as tools. There was only one way to find out if she was sincere in her beliefs.

"Well, Vivian, is it? Let me hear your pokémon's voice again!" He challenged, staring her down. Pokémon didn't lie. They couldn't. By battling her team, N could gather their honest opinion of her as a trainer, and perhaps as a person. So far, he knew she was quick to anger, passionate, and feisty to boot. "You want to battle? Sure, why not?" Vivian shrugged. "Then you can see that I'm right." She said with a smirk. Oh, she was quite a handful. For a moment, he actually pitied Cheren. He couldn't imagine traveling with her for very long. Cheren looked back and forth between them uncertainly, shrugging in defeat a moment later. "I suppose I'll be the referee." He sighed.

The trio took their respective positions on the grass where Team Plasma had been minutes earlier. N unhitched his only Poké Ball. "Come on out, my dear friend!" He called, tossing the object into the air, releasing his Purrloin. The small feline landed nimbly on the ground, arching his back into a stretch with a wide yawn. "A Purrloin, eh?" Vivian nodded curtly. "Let's go, Chiodos!" A Snivy sprang from the ball with an excited cry. "Feel like another battle, buddy?" Vivian asked the creature, which bounced up and down happily. "Sniv, Snivy!" He shouted. "_Of coursssse! I'm always ready to fight for you!_"

"Hmm." N stared quizzically at the pokémon. It was no doubt the pokémon he'd heard earlier, and the Snivy truly seemed to think highly of his trainer. He was also in excellent condition, and didn't show a single sign of neglect or abuse. How strange…

"Are you just gonna stand there?!" Vivian asked, crossing her arms. N blinked. "Of course not. I was simply letting you have the first move." "Huh. Okay, well then, Chiodos, let's go with a Tackle!" The little green reptile responded at once, hurtling forward to ram into his Purrloin. "Dodge it!" N called to his friend. The cat just barely managed to get out of the way before the Snivy could collide with it. "Keep at it!" Vivian encouraged. "Sniv!" The Snivy continued his assault, turning on a dime and throwing itself at the Purrloin once again. "Don't let it hit you!" N commanded. At first, Purrloin was able to evade each of the Snivy's attack, but suddenly his paw caught on a divot in the grass and his balance wavered for just a moment, but it was all the Snivy needed. It struck Purrloin in the side, sending the creature hurtling through the air. It crashed into the ground several feet away, whimpering. "Purrloin!" N cried. "Are you alright, my friend?!" He struggled for a moment, but shakily rose to his feet. "Purrloin!" He exclaimed. _"I am fine, my master! I can keep battling!"_ "Tough little guy, isn't he?" Vivian smiled fondly at N's pokémon. "Purrrr!" He puffed his chest out proudly. N hesitated, eyeing her suspiciously. She was happy that his pokémon was still standing? "He certainly is…" He replied slowly. "Well, so are we." She smoothly retorted, an impish grin lighting up her face. N's stomach swirled unexpectedly, and he uneasily returned her smile with one of his own that honestly felt more like a grimace. "C'mon Chio! Give him a Leer, and then finish with Tackle!" Vivian ordered, switching back into battle mode. In response, the Snivy fixed his Purrloin with a scowl that came dangerously close to rivaling his trainer's own fierce glare. The Purrloin backed up in fear, clearly startled by the look. "Snap out of it, Purrloin. Use Scratch!" His pokémon hesitated, but bounded forward with a determined glint in his eye just as Snivy charged forward for another Tackle. This time Purrloin was faster, and delivered a strong blow, raking Snivy's scaley hide with his claws before pouncing into the air to leap over his opponent. Before Vivian could utter another command, a pair of vines emerged from Chiodos' back and snagged Purrloin in mid-air. "No way! Chiodos, you learned Vine Whip!" Vivian exclaimed in surprise, and then her face brightened as she thought of something. "Now, give him a whirl and slam him back down!" "Sniiiiiiiiiii…" The Snivy began to swing his prey around in a large circle, eliciting a shocked cry from the ensnared Purrloin. "Snivyyyy!" Chiodos growled, abruptly whipping his vines down to slam Purrloin into the ground. There was a great crash, causing a cloud of dust to go up around the pair.

Everyone leaned forward in anticipation.

Finally, the dust cleared. Chiodos firmly stood his ground, breathing heavily as he watched the limp form of his foe. But Purrloin made no effort to get up.

"Purrloin is unable to battle, Chiodos is the winner. Meaning, the overall winner of this battle is Vivian!" Cheren called out, grandly gesturing to his friend. N expected the girl to cheer victoriously and recall her pokémon, but she surprised him yet again. Vivian rushed forward to scoop up her tired Snivy. "Ahhhh! You did an awesome job, Chiodos!" She shouted, swinging the creature around much like he had to N's poor Purrloin. But instead of throwing him to the ground, she brought him into her chest for a congratulatory snuggle. "I'm so proud of you." She crooned, hugging her Snivy happily. "Snivy! Snivy, sni!" _"I'm sssssso happy! I can't wait to battle for you again, Misssss Vivian!"_

N watched the spectacle uneasily. This was not what he expected at all. Frowning deeply, he hurried over to his fainted friend. "Purr… Loin…" The pokémon uttered weakly. _"I'm sorry… I let you down..." _N bent down, stroking his friend's fur gently and easing a Revive into his slackened mouth. "You did no such thing. You fought very hard, and I appreciate that. I'm just sorry you got hurt. You don't deserve that. No pokémon does."

"You're right." A soft voice spoke up from behind them. N glanced over his shoulder. Vivian and Cheren had come closer. It was Vivian who had spoken. "I don't like that pokémon get hurt either." She continued, gazing at him with a somber expression. This earned an astonished look from Cheren. "But that's what makes them stronger! Learning to endure it, and learning from their mistakes." He protested. She glanced at her friend and nodded. "That's true, too. I guess you have to take the bad with the good when it comes to being a trainer." She sighed, shaking her head slowly.

"But Team Plasma is still wrong to want to separate people from pokémon. They belong together." She declared. "We make each other better, right Chiodos?" Her critter hissed in agreement, accepting an Oran berry she'd produced from a pocket in her bag. N watched her, his brow puckering at her stubbornness. She agreed that she didn't enjoy pokémon being hurt, yet she still argued against separating pokémon from humans? Unbelievable!

"Is your Purrloin alright? Chiodos and I were pretty rough on him." She admitted, interrupting his thoughts. She bent closer and flashed them both an apologetic smile. She revealed another Oran berry in her hand, which she extended to the recovering pokémon. "I'm sorry, Purrloin. We didn't mean to rough you up too bad. I guess we got a little carried away." The pokémon turned his head to look at her, taking the berry and mewling softly before biting into it. "He said it's alright, he forgives you." N translated, not looking at either of them. "Oh, did he now…" He heard Cheren mutter sarcastically under his breath.

They quietly watched Purrloin devour his berry, and N recalled his pokémon once he was finished. Staring forlornly at the ball in his hand, he stated: "As long as Pokémon are confined in Poké Balls... Pokémon will never become perfect beings. I have to change the world for Pokémon, because they're my friends." "Change the world? That's quite a burden you're placing on yourself." Cheren said as N and Vivian straightened, his characteristic frown actually showing a little concern for the mysterious stranger. "It's the least I can do. Pokémon have given me so much…" N trailed off, shaking his head. "I must be going. Farewell. I suspect we will be seeing each other again." Without giving them a chance to respond, he turned and walked away in the direction Team Plasma had gone.

Not even a moment after he left their sight, his extransceiver rang.

"Lord N." His father's face came up on the screen when he pressed answer. "What do you have to report?" "Accumula Town appears to be reacting the same way as the others. They're starting to see the truth. Pokémon Liberation will soon become a reality, father." N responded smoothly, his face void of expression. It would do him no good to express his delight in front of Ghetsis. Emotion was weakness in his father's opinion. "Good." Ghetsis nodded, his lips curving into a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. "Are you on your way back to base?" "Yes, father." N answered. "Excellent."

"Father…" N hesitated, his brow puckering. "I met a rather interesting trainer after you left. The things her pokémon said… It was unlike anything I have ever heard. Do you think it's possible that not all trainers are as bad as you say?"

There was a pause, then: "Nonsense! Absolute. Fucking. Nonsense!" Ghetsis snarled. "Get back to base right away! And don't ever ask me that dreadful question again!" "Yes, father. I'm sorry. I'm on my way." N apologized meekly. Without another word, Ghetsis hung up on his son. The green-haired lad exhaled sadly as he put away his extransceiver. He would certainly pay for that upon his return. His hand absently reached up to rub his tender jawline and he winced.

Trying to distract himself from his impending punishment, N recalled that strange trainer. Though she'd been volatile and brash, her softer side had emerged when she was with her pokémon, even his. Her kindness and passion had absolutely stunned him. Ghetsis was wrong about this girl. She truly did care about pokémon. If only everyone else could share her qualities… Maybe not that temper, though. No. Definitely not that. But if everyone else was as compassionate as her, there wouldn't be a need for Pokémon Liberation.

Suddenly, an astonishing notion came to him. What if… She was the other Hero? She was rather idealistic about her beliefs. And the way pokémon connected with her was almost uncanny. Perhaps it was possible. He should mention this to Ghetsis. After his reprimand, of course.

"Vivian… Yes, I am sure we will meet again." N murmured to himself, a genuine smile cracking his cool demeanor.


End file.
